Cross-server Group Finder

[mlambros79]

So for level 50s doing random HM FPs or Ops, group finder works great and the que is not too long especially if you are a tank or healer.
However, for specific FPs during leveIing I think there is an issue. I was playing with my level 46 Sentinel the other night and I qued up for Red Reaper. Two hours later the que still hadn't poped. I was better off spamming on general.
For players trying to level with FP this will be a big problem.
Should the Group Finder be cross-server to help with this??
I most definitely think so....

[kyriacandro]

personally i think the group finder should be cross server

when i used to play wow the group finder was cross server it was good cause you could get the daily and things done in no time because a group would pop up striaght away

[Jetsu]

Since the transfers all the active servers have similar population size anyway so I don't think it would actually help much unless you're playing during off hours on your server (but during another server's peak time).


Explanation:
Flashpoint LFG isn't like a warzone where any combination of 8 guys can do it. The reason for the wait is typically a ratio problem. I.E. you're waiting on someone to fill a specific role. Now that the populations on servers are larger, the deviation in the role ratio should be roughly equal unless a few server communities somehow convinced more than the average percent of their playerbase to play the more rare roles (tanks and healers).


Effectively, instead of being the 6th damage dealer waiting on a tank you become the 18th damage dealer waiting for a tank, but with tanks queuing 3 times as often. The wait time will average out to about the same either way.


My guess as to the problem:
The problem with leveling flashpoints from what I've seen is that (even though companions make it much more viable than most games) people tend not to level as a tank or healer and wait until max level to respec (due to guild pressure, faster group queues, etc...)


The reason you see many more people running low level dungeons in games like WoW as a tank or healer are:
1. The solo game isn't interesting at all in most MMOs. There aren't special "boss" fights (with interrupt, avoid, activate, etc... mechanics), there's no over-arcing story to the whole 1-max level experience, you don't get to make choices of how things play out, etc...


2. Bioware made the flashpoints so darn long... You can't just jump into a group, do something in 20 minutes or less, get a ton of experience, and log off. If you're in the LFG tool it's because you're willing to commit at LEAST an hour to a random group of other players who may or may not finish the content before giving up anyway.


Honestly, I personally think we'd see a huge upturn in the number of people queuing for flashpoints in general if BioWare went in and broke up all the flashpoints (similar to how Taral V and Maelstrom Prison are the "same story" but multiple flashpoints). I'm hoping their future content (especially after bumping the max level) they break it up a bit more. A few boss fights, less trash, and only a few (hopefully very meaningful) cut-scenes per flashpoint, but more flashpoints for a given progression range.


People wouldn't feel like they have to *really* want to do a flashpoint to commit to a group to do one if they knew they'd be in and out of it in less than a half hour no matter how it goes (worst case they realize they can't do a boss 15-20 minutes in and the group breaks up).


So far I've not used the LFG at all, because I'm a father of a 1 year old, and can't commit to a group of people I don't know for the 1-2 hours straight it takes to clear the FPs now. However, I would rather it stay same server, because eventually I hope to make lasting friendships with people outside my guild and, aside from warzones, flashpoints will likely be the only way I regularly interact with random people in game.

[Zargs]

personally i think the group finder should be cross server

when i used to play wow the group finder was cross server it was good cause you could get the daily and things done in no time because a group would pop up striaght away

And you got so much ninjaing, stupid ppl, ppl pulling and then leave, nagin bc they think there the best player in the world and general dickheads. So NO THX for xross server LFG.

The LFG is what made ppl leave WoW.

[pholkhero]

I've been leveling my scoundrel heals almost exclusively through FPs and teh LFG tool. There are times when the q repeatedly insta-pops for me, and times when it wont go off no matter what i do (thats the time to go catch up on class quests).

Indeed, trying to do this w/a dps-spec'd is a recipe for insanity. and like jetsu said, even w/cross-server LFG, your queue will be about the same for your spec.

however, all that being said, i've had not one bad experience on LFG yet....there's been no ninja'ing of loot, no pulling and running, no Expert Leet Players trying to tell everyone how to play their class, not even multiple wipes and ragequitting the FP.

my only complaint is that when you're done, you're back at fleet.

[Jetsu]

And you got so much ninjaing, stupid ppl, ppl pulling and then leave, nagin bc they think there the best player in the world and general dickheads. So NO THX for xross server LFG.

The LFG is what made ppl leave WoW.

I played quite a bit of WoW dungeons before the automated LFG tool and there was plenty of item ninjas, intentional wiping, and bragging before it as well. However, I added cool players I ran with during my runs to a friends list and eventually formed a guild with many of them. I played with a couple of them for over 5 years before I quit.

The reason I quit is because most of them had, and I hadn't added any new players to my friends list (because I couldn't) since the cross-server tool came out and all the fun players I ran into I just had to accept I probably wouldn't see again.

I don't really buy the "it keeps people from being mean" argument, but unless BioWare is also going to implement cross-server friends lists and guilds I still think it would be a terrible move, and would eventually prevent the community from forming new social ties.

Honestly, I'm excited about their discussion of "Mega Servers" or whatever they're calling them. With all the phasing and instancing tools they already have built in to prevent populations from affecting performance in crowded areas they should be able to spread a "server" population across a lot of hardware without too much work. At that point you can have as many players as you want on a "server" because only the users of a single phase would have to be using the same hardware at the same time anyway.

[war1023]

WoW cross server LFG destroyed social aspect of mmo. There is no more being social in mmo. People are all about the instant gratification. If a player has to wait or has too put in time to get something they get all upset and cries about it.

Cross server offers nothing but problems. A lot of people covered all the problems of the cross server LFG. Cross server LFG was one of the major reasons I left WoW.

Keeping LFG system same server stops all the trolls, ninja and @$$hats because you get known for it then you end up on people ignore list and don’t get matched with them; reducing your pool for a group even more.

If you truly use WoW as an example; the cross server LFG DIDN’T solve anything. I experienced longer waits in WoW then I do now for DPS (under max level). What WoW did do that reduced wait times was offer bonus to tanks and healers to run more FP. Whenever there was a shortage of tanks or healers they received a bonus for doing more FP. The only problem this caused was DPS crying because tanks and healers got a bonus for running more FP to help them get their dailies done.




Moral of this story is DPS will always be QQ.

[mlambros79]

So if how much better is FP leveling with non-DPS?
Is it faster with a healer or tank?

[mycroftxxx]

I consider myself fast tank. in wow I'd usually keep tanking on the move kiting mobs to get to the next set of mobs keeping a constant flow going with little to no breaks in between. HOWEVER I'd always be keeping an eye on the healer's resources and I'd be keeping an eye on the healer to make sure he's actually within range of me or about to be in range of me before I initiate the next pull.

with that said I had 0 tolerance for asshole dps who would go ahead of me and initiate a pull when I could see the conditions weren't right. first infraction I'd /dance or /nosepick while I watched the dps tank the mobs he pulled and on the second infraction I'd simply walk away from my computer or just alt tab and pay some of my bills online. cross server lfg's allowed me to unleash my inner asshole

edit: I am an asshole but I have never ninja looted things ever.

[Count Sacula]

I play exclusively tanks and healers just for the reason listed above.

I love the fact that people on your ignore list are not grouped with you. Pretty soon all the bads and fails will get on the good players ignore lists and that will either force them to learn how to play the game or continue to only be grouped with other fails and bads.

My guess is that can not have the above ability spanning multiple servers but who knows I could be wrong.